Though I attended an art school, art didn’t come to me naturally. I was not trained from a young age and felt insecure about my technical skills. Competing with students who have practiced art and design for the majority of their lives was discouraging. However, art museums helped me face my insecurities and helped me hone my skills.Drawing sculptures started with a simple traditional drawing class freshman year of college as an educational device to understand human anatomy. While it began asan independent effort to better myself in an area where I have struggled, I found myself returning to museum spaces for comfort. Although I initially dreaded drawing,I began to love it. I encountered fellow artists like the artists of the Met and sparked conversations with strangers when I was traveling internationally. Museums offered much moreserendipitous results than what I initially expected.
Eventually, this practice evolved into a way for me to take in the museum space. Oftentimes when one tour a museum, it is a rushed experience, running aroundmultiple gallery wings to fit in as many highlights as possible. Instead of a blur of a busy day in a museum, I am glad to have found the luxury to sit down, spend more time, and pay more attention to the detail of one piece. Each display piece contains its own story and historical memory, deserving our attention. Now, I observe and record with greater detail, and remember the museum more vividly. I am grateful to have found my own way of appreciating the museum, and the technical skill I was able to hone was an added bonus.
